Goals nobody remembers – Benito Carbone vs Leeds (2000)

Ah, Benito Carbone. Short of that Cornetto advert, it was hard to think of a more popular Italian export to this country as the last century turned into this one.

Admittedly that was partly because his old Sheffield Wednesday team-mate Paolo di Canio had taken to pushing referees over around this time, but tricky little forward Carbone became a favourite on the Villa Park terraces during this, undoubtedly his finest hour in England.

Facing Leeds United in the tie of that year’s fifth round of the FA Cup, Carbone had already scored Aston Villa’s equaliser only to see Eirik Bakke put the visitors back in front.

Then, just short of the hour mark, the Italian picked the ball up to the left of the Leeds penalty area but still well outside of it, only to send a frankly ridiculous effort past a scrambling Nigel Martyn and into the net, prompting the kind of nonchalant celebration that could barely have been more Italian had he done it whilst weaving in and out of the tight streets of Milan honking the horn on his scooter.

For good measure, he then went and headed the winner – the third goal of a hat-trick which helped inspire his club to the cup final, where they lost to Chelsea.

He’ll always have this day though, and because that Cornetto advert has now been replaced by the Go Compare one, it’s not just Villa fans that have every reason to look back at Carbone’s time in the sun with fondness.